What am I trying to achieve? Well so far, just habit building and enjoying things, getting maybe a little fitter and stronger. I do need to focus now though and set some aims. So this is what I want to achieve.

Ok maybe not that dramatic, after all I am never going to be 7ft. Also I’m not green.

In simple terms, I am a kickboxer, so my aims have to be built around that.

1) Lose body fat. I’d like to get down to around 16-20%

2) Gain a moderate amount of muscle mass. I am a martial artist, not a body builder. I’d need to do something very different to bulk up on muscle mass significantly so while I am trying to lose body fat this is not a worry.

3) Tone I want good muscle tone, obviously.

4) Explosive power. This is possibly the most important thing for martial arts.

5) Strength, yes I want to be stronger, I want to lift more and hit harder.

6) Endurance. Both in my muscles and in my cardio fitness, I need endurance. Kickboxing tends towards two minutes at a time, but you can quite easily find yourself doing multiple rounds in quick succession and as Sensei is so fond of saying, ‘fittest fighter wins’. This is very often the case.

7) Flexibility, because kicking someone in the face is really, really satisfying, as well as more points.

I think that’s about it.

What you won’t find in that list is ‘lose weight’. I have had discussions with my PT about the focus people put on weight and he’s right. We obsess about one deeply flawed measure to the expense of all else, included and especially our health. I am recording weight, waist, chest and hips once a week. I am taking photos every couple of weeks in the hope that over time the change will be obvious, but I am not worrying about what I weigh. Honest. No really. Ok well I’m getting better and worrying less and pretty soon I will stop looking longingly at my scales, I’m already down to nearly giving in every other day instead of three times a day.

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About Aunty Fox

'Fox Spirit is the crazy young aunt who dances in the rain and conjures fantastic worlds out of cardboard boxes, loo rolls and sellotape'